ALBUM REVIEW: Gruntruck - "Gruntruck"

By Theron Moore

Album Type:Full Length

Date Released:13/10/2017

Label:Found Recordings

Gruntruck straddles that line between heavy, melodic, and noisey, not afraid to venture into Pearl Jam territory when it feels like it, then take a hard left and land somewhere near the sound of Alice In Chains.  Listening to “Gruntruck”, I think I finally understand what grunge was about.  Sure it was a trend, but bands like this just wanted to rock.  And that’s what this record does. 

  

“Gruntruck” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Bar Fly

2). Trip

3). War Flower

4). Noise Field

5). Build A Hole

6). Situation

7). It's Alright

8). Reverse Angel

9). Spy

10). Machine II

11). Flang

The Review:

I caught Skin Yard twice, live.  Ben McMillan and Jack Endino.  Heavy beyond heavy and way ahead of their time.  And then came Gruntruck.  Everything I just said multiplied by two.  Only two albums released but an amazing and influential band to say the least.  The voice of Seattle himself, Ben McMillan, Tom Niemyer, Tim Paul and Scott McCollum. The original lineup.  Alex Sibbald and Josh Snider would slide on in during the early 90’s but the band was never the same following an ugly legal battle with Roadrunner Recordsand disbanded in 2002. 

Tragedy struck six years later in 2008 when Ben McMillan passed away from complications with Diabetes, a disease he’d been struggling with for several years prior.  But one thing has always remained a constant with this band.  Their fan base never gave up on them.  For years there’s been chatter of a “lost” record that Gruntruck did that never surfaced. Did it exist or was it just rumor? 15 years after the band calls it a day, Found Recordings will be releasing this very record we speak about.  That’s right, it’s not a rumor any longer.  The infamous “lost” record will be released October 13^th. 

I’ve heard the record.  In fact, to tell you the truth, I’ve listened to it several times.  Classic Gruntruck.  It picks up where the band left off.  Seamlessly I might add.  I referenced Skin Yard above.  This’ll appeal to fans of that band as well, as both Gruntruck and Skin Yard had similar musical visions.  The thing about Gruntruck is / was, they had a wider musical vision than not just Skin Yard, but many of their Seattle peers as well.  Track two, “Trip,” brings this point home.

Gruntruckstraddles that line between heavy, melodic, and noisey, not afraid to venture into Pearl Jam territory when it feels like it, then take a hard left and land somewhere near the sound of Alice In Chains.  It’s interesting to listen to these songs and hear the cross pollination of Gruntruck with say, Mother Love Bone, Skin Yard, Green River, and of course The Screaming Trees.  They were friends, they influenced each other.  They weren’t afraid of letting that sound grow and take on a life of its’ own.  That was an important component of grunge as we know it.

It feels good listening to this record and hearing McMillan’s voice again.  The band sounds just as good now as it did back in the day.  That is, the music is timeless.  Songs like “Situation” ring with that Seattle intensity the scene had back in the 90’s, that brand of heaviness that seemed so unique to the Pacific Northwest.   The Alice In Chains feel of track 8, “Reverse Angel,” brings freshness to the here and now, when so much music feels cookie cutter or obsessed with retro rehash.

Listening to “Gruntruck”, I think I finally understand what grunge was about.  Sure it was a trend, but bands like this just wanted to rock.  And that’s what this record does.  That’s what Gruntruckhas always done. They rock. Give it an honest listen.  I bet it’ll grow on you.  Gruntruckwas and still is, killer for its time.

“Gruntruck” is available to preoder/buy here

Band info: facebook